Favorite hunting ammo.

[salmonriverjohn]

When it comes to dead critters, placement is where it's at.

 

[Stomper]

To the OP:

For large game I kit up in .308 Remington CoreLokt, and/or Hornady SST. Bullet weight depends on what I'm after. 150-gr. for deer, 175-gr. for elk.

For medium sized game (deer on down): .223 55-75gr.JSP 30-30 SJSP, 7.62x39 JSP, and .357mag JHP or SJSP. (Not brand loyal on any of these)

Small game: .223 (again), 22LR (where allowed)

Ducks & geese: 3" Kent Fasteel 1-1/4oz #2 shot. (Want to try turkey hunting eventually!)

Upland birds: whatever #7.5-#8 low-brass "pheasant loads" are on sale.

 

[DeanMk]

Stomper,

Where do you live that allows you to hunt deer with a .22 rifle?


Dean

 

[2506]

Stomper,

Where do you live that allows you to hunt deer with a .22 rifle?


Dean

Oregon is a possibility. .22 is legal as long as it's a center fire.

 

[Stomper]

Stomper,

Where do you live that allows you to hunt deer with a .22 rifle?


Dean

I was referring to small "game" such as rodents, rabbit, squirell with a 22LR.. not deer (medium game).

 

[DeanMk]

Apologies, I should've been more specific in stating the caliber.
In your post you stated: "For medium sized game (deer on down): .223 55-75gr.JSP..."
So when I stated ".22 rifle", I was referring to the .223.
So, again, where are you that you can hunt deer with a .223 rifle?


Dean

 

[Stomper]

I've taken two deer out near Clatskanie, OR with a Colt AR15A2 using 55gr JSP.223 (before AR's were "cool" to hunt with) One was a nice open broadsde shot from about 40 yrds and it jumped straight up in the air and hit the ground dead.

The other was in some brush (30 yrds-ish) and required two shots as the first round got slightly deflected by the brush, the second round dropped it where it stood.

Both of those were in the early 90's, and I hadn't been deer hunting again until last year when we bagged one 1.5 hrs into opening day up above Timothy Lake (but that was using 150gr .308 Core-Lokt in my Ruger American). One shot right in the heart, but that one ran about 20yds and dropped dead.

I've hunted Elk once up above Timber, OR a couple years after that using a Polytech AKM with JSP 7.62 and an expensive (at the time) 5rnd mag, with a 30rnd-er in my cargo pocket for "two-legged" critters. Flushed plenty of elk, and seen elk butt hauling away from me, but never got a shot off.

If I'm not mistaken, .223 isn't allowed for deer/elk in Washington state, huh? Any caliber centerfire cartridge is allowed for deer in Oregon, but that doesn't mean you SHOULD in some cases.

 

[DeanMk]

Ah ha!
I kinda figured you were outta state.
Yeah, AFAIK, its always been illegal to hunt here (Washington) with anything less than .24 caliber.
I seem to remember the reason was because it was believed by the state agencies that anything under .24 caliber didn't possess enough mass to make a clean kill on a deer.
They might still be believein' that.


Dean

 

[Stomper]

Ah ha!
I kinda figured you were outta state.
Yeah, AFAIK, its always been illegal to hunt here (Washington) with anything less than .24 caliber.
I seem to remember the reason was because it was believed by the state agencies that anything under .24 caliber didn't possess enough mass to make a clean kill on a deer.
They might still be believein' that.


Dean

LOL... I'm not out of state, YOU'RE out of state! NWFA is based out of Oregon... HA HA!

As for .223 not being effective on deer, "they" be believin' wrong. (Although you need to be a good shot, for sure!)

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Yepper, but it's still .24 and larger for Elk in Oregon. And it isn't any centerfire rifle, I believe it's .22 and up for deer. I've been proven wrong before though.

 

[Vaultman]

I am a Barnes fan. And a Nosler fan too, but I hunt with Barnes. I have not killed as many animals as some folks on here. But I know one thing for a fact. I shot a spike elk with a 180 gr barnes tsx out of my 300 win mag, at 70 yards (I know it is a close shot), and that elk was laying on the ground before I was done feeling the recoil. Down so fast that when my scope was back on him for a possible follow up shot he was horizontal, kicked twice and was out cold. Not that amazing you say... well that bullet was a full pass through, and low and behold had enough power to kill the elk standing behind mine. That second bull trotted 30 yards and fell over dead. Left camp with 10 bullets, came back with 9 bullets and two elk. (My hunting partner was with me and tagged the second bull.)

 

[Stomper]

I am a Barnes fan. And a Nosler fan too, but I hunt with Barnes. I have not killed as many animals as some folks on here. But I know one thing for a fact. I shot a spike elk with a 180 gr barnes tsx out of my 300 win mag, at 70 yards (I know it is a close shot), and that elk was laying on the ground before I was done feeling the recoil. Down so fast that when my scope was back on him for a possible follow up shot he was horizontal, kicked twice and was out cold. Not that amazing you say... well that bullet was a full pass through, and low and behold had enough power to kill the elk standing behind mine. That second bull trotted 30 yards and fell over dead. Left camp with 10 bullets, came back with 9 bullets and two elk. (My hunting partner was with me and tagged the second bull.)

Good thing you had a hunting buddy, because technically (I believe) you could have been cited for that secondary kill.

Yepper, but it's still .24 and larger for Elk in Oregon. And it isn't any centerfire rifle, I believe it's .22 and up for deer. I've been proven wrong before though.

In Oregon

.22 center fire (NO rim fire allowed) on up for deer,

.24 center fire on up for elk.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Yes yes stomper old boy, centerfire I know, just wouldn't want someone thinking they could pick up either the .17/23SMc or the 5mm/35SMc, both of which are SPEED DEMONS, but legally too small. But then again there is the little .22 Hornet that is also quite deadly, and your right on about the two elk thing. Know your target and whats beyond

 

[2ndtimer]

Montana also allows .22 centerfire on deer. My friend frequently shoots deer and antelope with his Ruger 77R in 22-250. He uses the Federal Premium 60 gr Nosler Partition load. For elk, he packs a 7mm Rem. Magnum, not sure which MMO, but probably a 160 gr or 175 gr premium load of some kind.

 

[DeanMk]

I am a Barnes fan. And a Nosler fan too, but I hunt with Barnes. I have not killed as many animals as some folks on here. But I know one thing for a fact. I shot a spike elk with a 180 gr barnes tsx out of my 300 win mag, at 70 yards (I know it is a close shot), and that elk was laying on the ground before I was done feeling the recoil. Down so fast that when my scope was back on him for a possible follow up shot he was horizontal, kicked twice and was out cold. Not that amazing you say... well that bullet was a full pass through, and low and behold had enough power to kill the elk standing behind mine. That second bull trotted 30 yards and fell over dead. Left camp with 10 bullets, came back with 9 bullets and two elk. (My hunting partner was with me and tagged the second bull.)

LoL!
Now THAT is a hunting story!
Right on, Vaultman.


Dean

 

[jluck]

LoL!
Now THAT is a hunting story!
Right on, Vaultman.


Dean

Yep. I love openly admitted illegal story's as much as the next guy too.

 

[Joe13]

Yep. I love openly admitted illegal story's as much as the next guy too.

Whaddya mean by that?

I thought everything on the Internet is fictional and only for entertainment purposes...

 

[DeanMk]

Yep. I love openly admitted illegal story's as much as the next guy too.

Oh, get off your high horse!
It's not like he did it on purpose or anything.
It happened and he had to do something.
Anyway, who says what happened was illegal.


Dean

 

[Stomper]

Nobody said he did it on purpose, but he still would have been cited for the secondary kill had a Game Warden come upon the scene and no hunting buddy to put his (appropriate) tag on it. Even with that, you're not allowed to "fill someone else's tag" these days... We're just advising those who may be reading this so they stay out of the "soup".

 

[DeanMk]

True, but should the guy really be chastised for something that was beyond his control?
I think anyone caught in the same situation would've done the same thing.


Dean